Request Open: March 21, 2025 9:00 am — April 21, 2025 11:59 pm (30 days left) (AoE)
The OGC Geospatial User Feedback (GUF) Standard defines a data model for encoding user feedback about geospatial datasets or metadata records describing datasets.
Contact: info@ogc.org
The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) invites public comment on the proposed Geospatial User Feedback v2.0 Conceptual Model Standard and associated XML Encoding Extension.
Geospatial User Feedback (GUF) is metadata that is predominantly produced by the consumers of geospatial data products based on their use and experience with those products, or expressing a desire for new or improved data products. The GUF v2.0 Standard complements existing metadata conventions .
The main addition in v2.0 of the GUF conceptual model is the inclusion of the description of reproducible usage of a certain resource.
Comments are due by April 21, 2025.
Geospatial User Feedback
In addition to metadata provided by the original data provider describing geospatial resources, many users report that they come to trust data based on information from studies performed by their peers. An important element of that trust constitutes not only linking datasets with relevant citations in scholarly literature, but also a desire for less formal feedback mechanisms such as user comments.
As user feedback is a key driver for providers to improve their data products, some data providers have expressed their desire for a standard such as GUF. The purpose of providing user feedback is to inform other users and data providers about use-cases and experiences of using a given geospatial resource.
The goal is to collect requirements for data that providers can incorporate into objective quality measures for their products, allowing providers to meet the real needs of users and potentially to find new markets for their data.
The GUF Conceptual Model
The GUF model is structured to allow for simple user interfaces that can cover different levels of expertise on geospatial data usage. The GUF model allows: commenting, asking questions, providing answers, rating data, citing publications, providing a quality measure, documenting additional lineage information, describing the usage, or emphasizing a significant event that conditions the interpretation of a dataset. Each one of these examples is considered an “item” of feedback as in the first version of the GUF conceptual model. Feedback items can be arranged in collections and a summary description of the collection is also modeled. Geospatial User Feedback can be provided both about data or metadata.
As a part of metadata, the GUF data model reuses some elements of ISO 19115-1:2014 (also OGC Abstract Specification Topic 11) but not the general structure. This selective use of ISO metadata elements prioritizes future interoperability with developing ISO metadata models.
GUF Encoding Standards
The GUF v2.0 Conceptual Model is designed to be used in combination with an encoding standard. The XML Encoding Extension (OGC 23-061) for this version 2.0 of the Conceptual Model is additionally seeking Public Comment. The XML Encoding Extension follows the ISO19139 encoding rules.
In addition, other standards in the GUF series will potentially provide specific encodings of the data model provided in the Conceptual Model document, such as one sing the JSON-LD encoding based on parts of schema.org.
Providing Feedback
OGC Members interested in staying up to date on the progress of this standard, or contributing to its development, are encouraged to join the Geospatial User Feedback Standards Working Group via the OGC Portal. Non-OGC members who would like to know more about participating in this SWG are encouraged to contact the OGC Standards Program.
The candidate Geospatial User Feedback Standard v2.0 Conceptual Model (OGC DOC#) (.PDF) and associated XML Encoding Extension (OGC 23-06) (.PDF) are available for review and comment on the OGC Portal. Also see the Release Notes for OGC Geospatial User Feedback Standard Conceptual Model v.2.0 (OGC 24-023R1) (.PDF) Comments are due by April 21, 2025 and should be submitted via the method below. and should be submitted via the method below.
To Comment:
Comments can be submitted to a dedicated email reflector for a period ending on the “Close request date” listed above. Comments received will be consolidated and reviewed by OGC members for incorporation into the document. Please submit your comments via this email address, using this Comments Template for the message body.
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About OGC
The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) is a membership organization dedicated to using the power of geography and technology to solve problems faced by people and the planet. OGC unlocks value and opportunity for its members through Standards, Innovation, and Collaboration. Our membership represents a broad and active global community drawn from government, industry, academia, international development agencies, research & scientific organizations, civil society, and advocates.
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